ICMA Center for Performance Measurement

Bedford Town Manager Rick Reed is participating in ICMA's Center for Performance Measurement. He's encouraging all members to consider an entry-level CPM offering; below is a message from Reed with details on the program.  Contact Reed at rreed@bedfordma.gov if you have any questions.

In the past month, ICMA unveiled a new lower cost, entry-level program in performance measurement—CPM 101.  The key features are that it is only (1) 101 questions—5-10 questions spread across 14 departments/service areas; (2) $995 per year; and (3) designed for smaller towns. A description of it is attached below. 

As some of you may know, I am a member of the Leadership Committee for the ICMA Center for Performance Measurement. About 18 months ago, the Leadership Committee asked the ICMA-CPM staff to develop an entry-level program in performance measurement—with a particular emphasis on meeting the needs of smaller municipalities. The CPM team did so and pilot-tested a version of it this past winter-spring.  It is this tested version of CPM 101 that ICMA now is offering to us.

I have been discussing with the ICMA staff the possibility of creating a state-wide performance measurement consortium in Massachusetts. I think this would make for a terrific set of comparables in the Commonwealth. In addition, it would present opportunities for towns to learn from each other (i.e., evidence-based discussions so that towns performing lower on certain services to learn from higher performing jurisdiction in one area—and those same towns share effective practices in areas where they are performing higher). 

ACTION REQUESTED

I’m not asking you to join right now.  But I do strongly encourage you to sign up for the one-hour informational webinar the ICMA staff will be doing on November 8 from 1-2 p.m. EST.  Then, based on that information presented during the webinar, subsequent information ICMA may make available and informal conversations MMMA members may have with each other, you can make a better informed decision as to whether CPM 101 meets your needs and those of professionally managed towns in Massachusetts. To register for the free webinar, or for more information, visit http://icma.org/performance, email cpmmail@icma.org or call 202-962-3562.

P.S.  More strategically and longer term, I think that if ICMA can replicate state-based performance consortia more broadly across many states—and the much lower cost, lower effort CPM 101 programs facilitates this—it really would provide another way to demonstrate the professional dividend of professional local government management.  In so doing, it would help to distinguish communities led by professional local government managers—and help MMMA and ICMA’s broader efforts to expand the council-manager form of government.